Various types of batch or continuous coagulation plants are known, each being designed specifically for a particular type of cheese. A typical example of this specialization is a plant for producing grana cheese DOC (controlled origin name) such as reggiano parmesan, grana padano and the like which, being obtained from crude milk, does not require a milk pasteurization section upstream, as in the case of a plant for mozzarella, stracchino or taleggio production. Other examples are the various plants for producing cooked or raw cheeses. In the case of reggiano parmesan, montasio, pecorino sardo, provolone and similar cheeses, the curd, after coagulation and cutting, has to be cooked at various temperatures and for various times depending on the type of cheese. Other examples are specific plants for mozzarella, taleggio, stracchino and the like, in which there is no cooking section.
Even today, specific plants for each individual type of cheese are built and used. Hence a cheese dairy is able to produce only those types of cheese allowed by the installed plants, so that if a cheese dairy contains only plants for reggiano parmesan production it is unable to produce mozzarella, stracchino or taleggio, and likewise a taleggio cheese dairy can never produce reggiano parmesan or gran padano cheese because its plants and equipment do not allow it. Consequently a characteristic of cheese dairy plants of the known art is their production rigidity. Even continuous coagulation plants, of more recent appearance on the market, have the same limitation, which in fact is even more restrictive as they possess no flexibility at all. In this respect, in addition to being able to produce only the specific type of cheese for which they have been designed, they have a rigid hourly productivity. Such plants are also limited to coagulation plus cutting and partial drainage of the curd.
An example of the known continuous plants for producing soft cheese is the apparatus for coagulating liquid-milk products as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,356. The apparatus comprises: a circular trackway having smoothy surfaced rails; a plurality of wheel frames positioned on wheels that overlie and travel on said circular trackway, said wheel frames being rigidly linked to each other; a corresponding number of identical container or vats that are pivotally mounted to said wheel frames and a tipping means intermediate said wheel frames and said vats to allow each vat to be independently tipped relative to the respective wheel frame; a filling station comprising overhead means relative to said vats for the addition of liquid milk product and coagulations agents to said vats; a cutting station comprising overhead cutting means relative to said vats that is moveable and insertable into each vat for cutting curd as it coagulates; a discharge station comprising a discharge chute positioned circumferentially about said circular trackway for receiving the whey and coagulated curd formed from at least two adjacent vats, said chute extending in a downwardly direction from an upper end where the whey and curd are received from said vats, to a lower end to which the whey and curd is transported; and a drive means for sequentially displacing said wheel frames over said circular trackway in predetermined spaced time relationship at constant velocity from said filling station to said cutting station to said discharge station.
An example of the known continuous plants for producing soft cheese is the apparatus for coagulating liquid-milk products as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,356. The apparatus comprises: a circular trackway having smoothy surfaced rails; a plurality of wheel frames positioned on wheels that overlie and travel on said circular trackway, said wheel frames being rigidly linked to each other; a corresponding number of identical container or vats that are pivotally mounted to said wheel frames and a tipping means intermediate said wheel frames and said vats to allow each vat to be independently tipped relative to the respective wheel frame; a filling station comprising overhead means relative to said vats for the addition of liquid milk product and coagulations agents to said vats; a cutting station comprising overhead cutting means relative to said vats that is moveable and insertable into each vat for cutting curd as it coagulates; a discharge station comprising a discharge chute positioned circumferentially about said circular trackway for receiving the whey and coagulated curd formed from at least two adjacent vats, said chute extending in a downwardly direction from an upper end where the whey and curd are received from said vats, to a lower end to which the whey and curd is transported; and a drive means for sequentially displacing said wheel frames over said circular trackway in predetermined spaced time relationship at constant velocity from said filling station to said cutting station to said discharge station.